18th century The area that became Short Hills was initially part of
Springfield Township, and its
eponymous hills are thought to have played a role in the movement of the
Continental Army under
George Washington during the
Battle of Springfield (June 23, 1780). While troops may have been present in the area, the
Battle of Short Hills (June 26, 1777) took place in
Scotch Plains and
Metuchen. Short Hills began as a planned community when Stewart Hartshorn, who became wealthy from developing, perfecting, and manufacturing the self-acting
shade roller, purchased of land in the township of
Millburn, near the present Hobart Avenue, Parsonage Hill Road, and Chatham Road. Hartshorn intended to create "a harmonious community for people who appreciated nature," and "where natural beauty would not be destroyed by real estate developments, and where people of congenial tastes could dwell together." He later increased his land holdings to for himself and for the whole village, with each plot not owned by Hartshorn being no larger than 1/2 acre. Hartshorn chose the name "Short Hills" because it reflected the topography of the region, and also because the local
Lenape Native Americans used that same name to describe the region. One local resident suggested that he call his village "Hartshornville," but he refused, quietly content with Short Hills sharing his initials.
19th century on the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Hartshorn situated his ideal town near enough to a railroad to allow for an easy commute to
Hoboken and, from there, to
New York City. Hence, his decision in 1879 to build, at his own expense, a
railroad station along the original
Morris and Essex Railroad line. He also persuaded the
United States Post Office to open a branch in his new railroad station in 1880, and in fact, the Post Office has always had a presence in Short Hills from that day, as well as its own ZIP Code, 07078. Hartshorn deliberately preserved strips of land along the railroad right-of-way from any development west of Old Short Hills Road. These strips separate Hobart Avenue to the north, and Chatham Road to the south, from the railway line. The only structure that has ever stood directly adjacent to the line is the railroad station.
20th century In 1944, the Hartshorn family also donated Crescent Park to the township of Millburn, directly across from the station, with the stipulation that the park always remain open to the public. After 17 houses were erected, Hartshorn turned his attention to other common elements, including a music hall, which later became the Short Hills Racquets Club. Stewart Hartshorn died in 1937 at the age of 97. His daughter
Cora survived him, wrote her own history of the hamlet, and helped establish the
Arboretum that bears her name. In 1968, Temple B'nai Jeshurun relocated from
Newark to a site in Short Hills. It is the oldest
Reform Jewish congregation in New Jersey and, with 1,100 member families, was one of the largest Jewish congregations in the state at the time of the move. Most of the property was purchased from Congressman
Robert Kean, father of future New Jersey governor
Thomas Kean. The land had originally been given to Kean's family by
King George III of the United Kingdom. In 1975, the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society was formed in conjunction with the American Bicentennial celebrations. The opening of the
Kearny Connection in 1996, establishing
direct rail service to
Penn Station in
Midtown Manhattan, enhanced real-estate values immensely.
21st century In 2001, the
Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center opened in Short Hills. In 2011, the historic
Greenwood Gardens opened to the public. Covering , it is one of sixteen garden preservation projects in the United States that is overseen by the
Garden Conservancy. In 2002, local residents planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the railroad station, to honor those of their neighbors who died in the attacks on
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A public 9/11 memorial at Crescent Park near the Short Hills train station was dedicated in 2021 to mark the 20th anniversary of the attack; Designed by a local artist and made up of 420 steel rings to commemorate the first responders and eight Millburn residents who were killed, the memorial includes two pieces of steel retrieved from the World Trade Center. The median family income was over $200,000 in the 2010 census, and as of the 2020 census, exceeded $250,000. Short Hills remains a part of the Township of Millburn, and has been a part of it since its inception. Short Hills has its own railroad station and post office branch that are part of a downtown business area that is smaller than downtown Millburn. Located along Chatham Road near the
Short Hills station, it includes a pharmacy, small eateries, and specialty shops. The train station waiting room operates as a bar and grill during the evening hours and a newsstand and ticket agent are present from early morning hours until noon. ==Geography==